Bamidbar: Zemer of The Week
Parshat Bamidbar
The zemer for this week: שמרו שבתותי
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGZrUH88pnc
The author of this zemer may have been Shlomo ben Yehuda ibn Gabirol, a prolific 11th-century poet and philosopher.
His name is captured in the acrostic formed by the four stanzas. The zemer focuses on our obligation to honor Shabbat with culinary delights, and describes how the final Redemption will be hastened by observance of the Shabbat.
His name is captured in the acrostic formed by the four stanzas. The zemer focuses on our obligation to honor Shabbat with culinary delights, and describes how the final Redemption will be hastened by observance of the Shabbat.
Central elements of this parsha include the enumeration of the family tree and census of Bnei Yisroel, the description of how the tribes camped in the desert, the exchange of the Levites for the firstborns, and the central role of the Levites in the functioning of the Mishkan.
Some of the zemer’s connections to the parsha:
· 3rd line of 1st stanza, and Chorus:
The zemer is addressed to “בני” (“My children”) – In the parsha (Bamidbar 3:1), Aharon’s children are referred to as Moshe’s children. In that pasuk, Rashi says that when you teach Torah to someone else’s children – as did Moshe for Aharon’s children – it is as if you fathered them.
The zemer is addressed to “בני” (“My children”) – In the parsha (Bamidbar 3:1), Aharon’s children are referred to as Moshe’s children. In that pasuk, Rashi says that when you teach Torah to someone else’s children – as did Moshe for Aharon’s children – it is as if you fathered them.
· 2nd line of 2nd stanza:
(“a woman to her sister will be attached”) – The encampments of the different tribes and of the families of Moshe and Aharon are one of Rashi’s sources for the sociological observation about the influence of those to whom we attach ourselves. On the positive side,
“טוב לצדיק, טוב לשכנו” (“good for the righteous one, good for his neighbor” – in Bamidbar 3:38).
"אשה אל אחותה לצרור”
“טוב לצדיק, טוב לשכנו” (“good for the righteous one, good for his neighbor” – in Bamidbar 3:38).
o Conversely, in Bamidbar 3:29, Rashi sees the negative effect of
“אוי לרשע, אוי לשכינו” (“woe to the wicked one, woe to his neighbor”).
“אוי לרשע, אוי לשכינו” (“woe to the wicked one, woe to his neighbor”).
· 3rd line, last stanza:
“ישררו שם רנני, לווי וכהני ”(“They will sing there My songs, My Leviim and My Kohanim”) – A major theme of the parsha is the central role of the Leviim in the functioning of the Mishkan.
“ישררו שם רנני, לווי וכהני ”(“They will sing there My songs, My Leviim and My Kohanim”) – A major theme of the parsha is the central role of the Leviim in the functioning of the Mishkan.
· 1st line of 3rd stanza:
“לעשות את דבר אסתר”(“to do Esther’s request”) – There are two echoes of Megillat Esther in the parsha.
“לעשות את דבר אסתר”(“to do Esther’s request”) – There are two echoes of Megillat Esther in the parsha.
o Rashi (Bamidbar 1:50) says that the parallel meaning of “v’atah hafkeid et ha’Leviim” (Hashem’s telling Moshe, “And you should appoint the Leviim” over the Mishkan”) is the advice given to the king in Esther 2:3, “v’yafkeid hamelech pekidim” (“Let the king appoint overseers”).
o Rashi (Bamidbar 3:50) says that the decision about which firstborns would be redeemed for 5 shekalim and which would be redeemed for one of the 22,000 Leviim would be decided by a “goral” (“lottery”), paralleling the goral from Megillat Esther.